Bucs season ticket demand spikes immediately after Tom Brady news
TAMPA, Fla. - Unless there are some unforeseen circumstances, it appears that the GOAT is indeed signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Once the news began making its rounds on social media, there was a long virtual line of fans waiting to purchase season tickets.
On Ticketmaster, it appears the excitement of Tom Brady likely becoming a Buc made fans rush to buy season tickets, but most were met with the following message:
"You are now in line. Due to demand, you may experience an extended wait time. Once you reach the front, you may begin to shop."
According to NFL.com, the queue on Tuesday night reached up to 2,900 people.
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Tuesday morning, Brady said on Twitter he will no longer be the quarterback for the New England Patriots. Even before his announcement, rumors were flying that Tampa Bay and Brady were in talks to make a signing deal.
Those rumors were seemed to have some truth after Tampa Bay Buccaneers FOX Sports Radio host and former WTVT sports anchor Colin Cowherd reported Brady and the Bucs reached a deal.
“I have somebody telling me this morning – this very interesting – this is not a football source. It’s an icon source. It is somebody in Tom’s stratosphere who knows Tom and is a famous person. And he says Tampa,” Cowherd said. “That’s what he’s telling me.”
Media outlets made the same prediction, citing unnamed sources. It's believed Brady and the Bucs reached a $30-million per year deal.
Then, the NFL seemed to confirm the news with a cryptic tweet showing a cartoon version of Brady in a Buccaneers uniform.
The news means the Buccaneers are presumably moving on from Jameis Winston, whom the Bucs took with the first overall pick in 2015. Winston, who won the Heisman Trophy at Florida State, never translated his NCAA success to the NFL.
With Winston coming off year in which he led NFL in passing yardage while also becoming first player in league history to throw for 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in single season, coach Bruce Arians has indicated he may be willing to let walk 26-year-old quarterback. Winston was the No. 1 overall pick in 2015 draft.
Winston is also a free agent this year and could still re-sign with the Buccaneers as a likely backup or hit the open market to find another team.
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Last season, the Bucs ranked near the bottom of the league. Brady has five times as many playoff wins as all the quarterbacks in Bucs history. He won six Super Bowls with the Patriots.
He will be 43 years old when the season starts, and could be the oldest-starting quarterback in the league.
This season, Tampa Bay is planning to debut new uniforms for the upcoming season. With a potentially new quarterback and a fresh look, those statistics may turn around.
Obviously, with the sudden surge in season tickets, fans seem to approve.
The deal will likely be announced at 4 p.m. Wednesday.